Labor Force Participation Rates Measuring workforce engagement DataPost Labor Force Participation Rates Measuring workforce engagement Date last updated: December 8, 2017 Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Education & Outreach

Labor Force Participation Rates Monthly percentage values, seasonally adjusted, through November 2017 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics DataPost www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Education & Outreach

Annotated Chart Notes Labor Force Participation Rates Monthly percentage values, seasonally adjusted, through November 2017 The percentage of the age 16+ population (within each subgroup shown) working or actively looking for work Prime-age men (25-54 years old) 96.1% in Aug. 1969 Youth aged 16-24 55.4% in Oct. 2009 Prime-age women (25-54 years old) 55.1% in Jun. 1975 Mature 55+ years old 39.9% in Nov. 2017 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics DataPost www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Education & Outreach

Overall Labor Force Participation Rate Yearly averages of monthly values* (Percent) ---- CBO Forecast Based on June 2017 CBO forecast in “An Update to the Budget and Economic Outlook: 2017 to 2027” (https://www.cbo.gov/publication/52801) For underlying data, see: https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/115th-congress-2017-2018/reports/2017-06dataunderlyingfiguresandsupplementalmaterial.xlsx Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics & Congressional Budget Office *Labor force participation rate data through 2016, with CBO forecast covering 2017-2027 DataPost www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Education & Outreach

Annotated Chart Notes Overall Labor Force Participation Rate Yearly averages of monthly values* (Percent) The fraction of the age 16+ population working or actively looking for work ---- CBO Forecast Peaked at 67.1% in 1997 62.2% in 1977 The CBO forecasts the rate will drop to 60.9% by 2027 Based on June 2017 CBO forecast in “An Update to the Budget and Economic Outlook: 2017 to 2027” (https://www.cbo.gov/publication/52801) For underlying data, see: https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/115th-congress-2017-2018/reports/2017-06dataunderlyingfiguresandsupplementalmaterial.xlsx See PowerPoint file for CBO Forecast source. Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics & Congressional Budget Office *Labor force participation rate data through 2016, with CBO forecast covering 2017-2027 DataPost www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Education & Outreach

Watch a video about U.S. labor force participation rates at FRBSF.org What Do You Think? What is the labor force participation (LFP) rate definition? (See slide 5) To which demographic group do you belong? In January 2008, what was the approximate value of the LFP rate for your group? (See slide 2) For the periods shown in the LFP rate chart by subgroup, what can you say about the trend for participation among men aged 25-54? Women aged 25-54? Youth aged 16-24? (See slide 3) How would you describe the trend in the overall LFP rate since January 1998? (See slide 4) How does the trend in the LFP rate for the mature 55+ subgroup compare before and after the Great Recession (Dec. 2007 – Jun. 2009)? (See slide 3) Watch a video about U.S. labor force participation rates at FRBSF.org DataPost www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Education & Outreach